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Dopaje - English
Dopaje - English
Dopaje - English
Training at altitude may help athletes gain a competitive edge at sea level; altitude exposure also presents problems to athletes, and these could possibly cancel out benefits
Even moderate altitudes can have a significant effect on athletic performance. Click to see the effects on physical performance at altitude.
All athletes seek a competitive advantage. Although the benefits of some interventions (like training, for example) are clear, most strategies are less well-proven. Altitude is no
exception to this. Training at high altitude has been used by competitive athletes as a means of improving their performance. However, despite a good deal of research into the
subject, its true effects and a recommended approach are still not well established. Additionally, altitude training is usually expensive and fraught with logistical problems.
In order to increase the volume of oxygen available, reduce fatiguing, and improve
performance, some sportspeople use transfusions of their own blood. Blood doping, as
it is called, is also a banned form of doping. It involves extracting a quantity of blood from
the athletes own body (between 20 to 30 percent of their total body blood volume) and
conserving it in a refrigerator. To enhance the benefits, it is extracted after several weeks
of high-altitude training, at at least 2000m above sea level, because of its higher
oxygenation. The body needs to be given sufficient time to replace the blood which is
removed, and restore natural levels. A couple of weeks before competition, the
competitors own blood is reinjected into their body, increasing the blood volume and
oxygenation, and making them more fatigue-resistant. Since blood is a natural substance,
it is difficult to detect this doping method, however it can be achieved through a count of
blood cells (erythrocytes). The risks involved range from contracting an illness during the
extraction, storage, and reinjection, through to thrombosis (the formation of a clot,
known as a thrombus) in a vein or artery, which impedes normal blood flow and may
even lead to a heart attack. Since blood doping is now detectable, some sportspeople
currently prefer to use synthetic erythropoietin (EPO). In its natural form, this substance
is a hormone produced by the body to stimulate the production of red blood cells and
increase blood volume. A test to detect the use of EPO was developed in 2000.
Erythropoietin, commonly known
as EPO, is a hormone which
stimulates the growth of red blood
cells, along with other effects. In
other words, it improves physical
performance by helping deliver
more oxygen to muscles.
Armstrong was categorical when he
affirmed it was impossible to win the
Tour without doping. He also said in
an interview I dont want to accuse
anyone else I made my decisions.
They are my mistake. The Texan
said that I viewed this situation as
one big lie I didnt feel as if I was
cheating, in my view, doping was
part of the job. He admits to having
taking all kinds of banned
substances: My coctail was EPO,
but not a lot, transfusions, and
testosterone.
The use of EPO or similar substances, such as recombinant
human Erythropoietin (rHuEPO), as a doping method for
improving athletic performance is prohibited. The positive
effects of EPO are due to its increasing the erythrocyte mass
(leading to an increase in the haematocrit). It improves
performance in aerobic activities, thereby increasing
endurance. According to a 2007 study, the use of rHuEPO by
healthy individuals produced a 6.4% increase in maximum
oxygen consumption (VO2 max), due primarily to a 10%
increase in haemoglobin.
MARCO PANTANI
Among the drugs used by sportspeople, the most common are stimulants (mainly amphetamines)
and anabolic steroids.
Stimulants such as epinephrine, ephedrine, and norephedrine act upon the adrenal glands and
the central nervous system, increasing the heart rate, arterial pressure, muscular tension, and
nervous impulses.
The effect of stimulants on glands encourages the secretion of adrenaline, a hormone which
places the body in a state of alert. The person becomes more attentive, sleep- and fatigue-
resistant, and feels more disposed to participate in competitive activities. Stimulants also make
the symptoms of fatigue less perceptible in the central nervous system, which can lead to the user
overexerting themselves, possibly even to the point of death. Body temperature also increases
beyond that produced by normal exercise. After some time this may lead to respiratory and
cardiovascular difficulties, and even collapse.
Stimulants are used in sports requiring aggression (such as boxing and wrestling) or constantly
high effort levels (cycling, track and field), because they provoke feelings of hostility, aggression
and strength in those who use them. The secondary effects range from paranoia, insomnia and
antisocial behavior, through to addiction to other drugs such as barbiturates, which are used to
promote sleep in amphetamine users. In this way, a series of ups and downs begin which alter
cardiac rhythms and may even lead to death through the decompensation of the nervous system.
JAVIER SOTOMAYOR
The Cuban high-jumper was suspended for two years in 1999 for
cocaine use. The International Athletics Federation issued the
suspension citing exceptional circumstances after he was
awarded the silver medal in the Sydney Olympic Games with a
jump of 2.29 meters, having trained for barely over three months.
He retired at the age of 34.
Diuretics
The effect of diuretics on the human organism
specifically on the kidneys is to increase urine
excretion. This is generally achieved by increasing
the elimination of sodium chloride from the
kidneys, which is followed passively by water,
through an osmotic mechanism.
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